John Kerry @ Brookings - POMED notes on John Kerry's Saban center talks. I find that, basically and despite his recent visit to Gaza, he is advocating West Bank First and continuation of Abbas-Israel talks, which seems completely wrong-headed, as well as the idea of the outline of a final status is well-known -- I don't really see that when the next PM of Israel rejects the creation of a Palestinian state and the Israelis at best want massive concessions from UNSC Resolutuion 242, while the Palestinians at best want 242 with a few changes. [PDF]

Daily News Egypt - NOUR ANNOUNCES REFORM INITIATIVE ON FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF APRIL 6 MOVEMENT - "CAIRO: Former leader of Al-Ghad party Ayman Nour announced a reform initiative under the title “Cairo’s Announcement for Democracy and Reform,” in a bid to continue efforts that were stalled during his more than four years in prison. Nour called upon parties and political bodies to discuss 10 articles to be included in the announcement ahead of its release on April 6."

Issandr El Amrani is a Cairo-based writer and consultant. His reporting and commentary on the Middle East and North Africa has appeared in The Economist, London Review of Books, Financial Times, The National, The Guardian, Time and other publications. He also publishes one of the longest-running blog in the region, www.arabist.net.